The second of two major dragon boat race events in Metro Vancouver each year, the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Steveston Village in August.
Formerly known as the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival, the event changed its name to the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival in 2023. It usually takes place in August. Sadly, it’s not happening in 2026, but should return next year.
This article contains the following information about the festival:
Dragon Boating Location | Festival Schedule | Entertainment Schedule | Dragon Boat Racing Details | Tips & Advice | Event Video | Other Information
Dragon Boat Racing in Steveston Village
The regatta is a one-day festival that happens towards the end of summer. It typically happens right around the same time as the Richmond Maritime Festival. In fact, last year it happened on the same weekend!
Like the much larger Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival, the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival was rescheduled to a later date in 2026. The Richmond event was planned for September 12th. It ended up getting cancelled for the year, however.
The Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival is normally a three-day event at at False Creek near Science World in June. Due to the FIFA World Cup happening at the same time the festival was turned into a one-day event on August 22nd.
A little further away is the Harrison Dragon Boat Festival in July that takes place in a spectacular setting.
Dragon Boating Location
The Richmond Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Richmond‘s Steveston Village between the Britannia Heritage Shipyard and Imperial Landing. The Britannia Heritage Shipyard is located at 5180 Westwater Drive. Imperial Landing, meanwhile, is at 4000 Bayview Street further to the west.
Festival Schedule
Below was the schedule of events for the 2025 Richmond Dragon Boat Festival. 2027 details should be fairly similar, but with exact details to be confirmed.
- 9:00 am – Dragon Boat races begin
- 10:00 am – Food and market vendor stalls open
- 11:30 am – Main Stage entertainment begins
- 12:00 pm – Red Truck Patio/Beverage Service open
- 6:00 pm – Festival ends
Entertainment Schedule
Every year there is live music and other entertainment on the main stage. Below was the schedule for 2025 (and 2027 will likely be similar).
- 11:30 am – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
- 12:00 pm – Coastal Wolf Pack
- 12:45 pm – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
- 1:00 pm – Hon Hsing Athletic Club Lion Dances
- 1:45 pm – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
- 2:00 pm – Hon Hsing Athletic Club Lion Dances
- 2:30 pm – Luc LeMans
- 3:00 pm – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
- 4:00 pm – Luc LeMans
Dragon Boat Racing Details
At the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival many teams compete in races that are 250 metres and 500 metres in distance. Each boat has about 20 paddlers plus a steerer and a drummer. Eighty teams competed last year.
The cost for participation in is around $1,300 for women and co-ed teams, $1,050 for seniors and U24 teams, and $800 for juniors (of 12-18 years of age). A 10% early bird registration discount is available until the end of March most years.
Tips & Advice
Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your visit to Steveston Village and the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival.
TIP #1: Parking is available starting at 7:00 am for race participants at the T Homma School. It’s right by the Britannia Heritage Shipyard at 5180 Westwater Drive. The cost is about $5 with proceeds going to the Richmond Food Bank. Spaces are limited so plan to carpool.
TIP #2: Steveston Village is a beautiful and very interesting place. There is a walking and cycling path that goes for miles all along the water. The Britannia Heritage Shipyard is itself a National Historic Site, as is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery located in the heart of Steveston Village. While you’re in the area, get out and explore!
TIP #3: Also taking place in Richmond on Saturday is the Richmond Night Market which costs around $5 and is located at 8351 River Road not far from the Bridgeport SkyTrain Station. Especially if you’ve never been, and you like markets, it’s worth checking out.
TIP #4: If you want to compete in the dragon boat racing, register well in advance as the event sells out well before race day.
Festival Video
The following video shows non-racing scenes of the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival (then called the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival) from a couple of years ago.
Other Information
For further details about the regatta, see the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival website.
To learn about a related race in August in Vancouver, click Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival. For a similar event in July, see our article about the Harrison Dragon Boat Festival.
For information about the area see Steveston Village or Britannia Heritage Shipyard.
And for information on other major events in the Lower Mainland, see Vancouver’s August Calendar or Festivals & Events Calendar.
Another website you might also find of interest is VancouverSportsEvents.ca.
